Switched
by God of LoL
Summary: Chaos. It has its overly unique methods when it comes to screwing up the lives of others. Some times, by pure destructions. Others, by small catastrophes here and there that mash up to bring you a bad (or good) day. This time? By switching our favourite Slayer...with his past self. A self even he does not remember. Now the problem is, how will Team Tangsooyuk deal with this menace?
1. Chapter 1

"I hate potatoes..."

Wangnan fell back in his seat, sighing heavily as two small mountains of potatoes were sitting before him; one pilled and one that awaited to be. Well, not mountains per say, but through his eyes, it seemed like it.

He rubbed his hands and hissed a bit in pain. Being he, part of pilling potatoes was also cutting his hands repeatedly. He was clumsy, he was bad at anything that didn't have to do with throwing bombs at targets and most of all, he really, _really _hated potatoes in any form except fried. He would order food from outside, but they were a little...tight when it came to this month's budget. And the ever increasing size of their team didn't help much either.

_Team...More like a baseball team at the rate we're growing._

He reminisced this month's tournament. Anything that could go wrong did, but even though there were hardships, even though they were almost bound to _fail_, they somehow managed to pull through. They succeeded to make their name heard all over the Tower. _The Team that defeated the Slayer_.

The Prince snorted inwardly at the name they claimed. _Defeated. Yeah right. If letting us win can count..._

He had witnessed in previous matches of what Viole was capable of. He knew well that a man who can take a hit from the strongest active High Ranker-slash-Irregular and survive could well wipe the floor without even moving. He let himself be defeated, Wangnan wasn't stupid. Like he let himself be tricked in the past, this time, he let himself be defeated.

He could gloat about it and probably milk the fame that came from it. But, that wasn't a choice. Not anymore. This wasn't the 20th Floor.

"Ya know, cutting potatoes includes, as shocking as it may seem, well, cutting potatoes."  
Beta. Wangnan was still trying to figure out how the heck a guy like him came to be in the same team as he. It was probably Viole's ever growing charm or something else.

Wangnan grunted and continued cutting the potatoes, the unwanted visitor having already made himself comfortable in a nearby chair. But Wangnan didn't mind. It was okay.

He noticed the way he _eyed_ the potatoes. Like something worth examining, like something the exotic, the amazing. He even took a bite from one, only to scoff in disgust. _Well, he spend most of his life in a lab. And there's only so much to learn about potatoes when you were mostly fed drugs to make yourself the ultimate weapon. Speaking of weapons..._

Bending a little, he saw the living room and inside it, Emile and Traveler, being all "lovey-dovey canoodling", as Viole had surprisingly put it. He looked then at Beta, who was still trying to figure out whether this was the way one should eat a potato -by licking it, of all means. When the couple's sweet talk reached their ears, Beta made a grimace of disgust. And it was not from the potato.

_Come to think of it, he is, what, Miseng's and Verdi's age? Or the Money brat's? Of course he wouldn't like the concept of...Exchanging saliva-_"HEY, THERE ARE KIDS WATCHING, YOU TWO!" One of the potatoes found its way towards Traveler's head, giving him a well deserved headshot. He also noticed a small brown head moving away from the scene and also noticed a small flash of light, seemingly out of nowhere. _This girl needs to learn another means of having fun..._

Heaving a sigh, he returned to his potatoes and...guest. He was still eyeing the potatoes, an act Wangnan didn't judge.

He looked at Beta again. His veins shining from the devil being inside him. He looked at the serum on the table, the thing that made this heretical fusion of man and demon possible. A freak of nature, an outcast...But Wangnan didn't mind. It was okay. For he too was an outcast.

_Slick._

And now, an outcast with an extra cut.

"...I hate potatoes..."

Viole opened the door and entered the place he came to call home once more. He was stiff however, almost unhappy one would say. It felt...weird of how things turned out. And Viole's experience with happiness was bad. For one hill of happiness, he would have to face a mountain of misfortune and misery.

He was by no means pessimistic, of course not. It was just a bad feeling, a hunch he had that their current contentment and delight was soon to be replaced with sadness and severity. He just couldn't relax anymore.

"Hey, Gloomface."

On the other hand, maybe he felt so unsettled because a certain redhead's all watching eye was nailed on his back in the whole shopping trip.

"What?" he grunted. Knowing her, it was going to be either a sex joke or her usual sarcastic remarks. The only instance she was ever serious with him was when she told him that he and she were very much alike. And that's it. No explanation at all. Even after 8 years, he still didn't know what to think. _Well, experience from all these years told you one thing, Baam. It was probably a joke._

He looked at her direction, his face distorted in a grimace of jittery and annoyance. But, she was not there anymore. Deciding to ignore the whole thing, he tried to head to the kitchen, only to find Hwa Ryun floating on her staff upside down.

"Kyah!" he jumped back in terror. _WHY DOES SHE ALWAYS DO THAT?! _He grabbed his chest in his futile attempts to stop his racing heart from trying to explode out of his chest.

"What's wrong?"

He looked at her in the eye for the first time in 8 years. Viole wasn't sure whether it was her tone or her general posture of her crossed hands -which, no matter how serious, looked ridiculous with her being upside down-, but he knew she didn't mean the jumpscare she just gave him.

"I'm fine. Nothing's wrong."  
"And I'm Yihwa. I don't burn food."

In her language, this was the equivalent of "I don't believe you". Viole sighed. She knew him like the back of her hand. Lying was not an option with her. But Viole would take his chances.

"I said, I'm fine." He grabbed her from her shoulders and put her back on ground, on a proper position. When he turned her around, he noticed it; A scoff he never expected to see on her face. "Really." That scoff only deepened. "Really." he said again, and this time tried to smile. _Tried_. What came out was a twitching bastardization of all smiles that befitted a rapist rather than himself. He knew it was. Even without Ryun's critical look, he could feel it in his face.

"What's wrong?" she repeated. Viol...Baam, at this moment, could feel it that if he lied again, he would receive a well-deserved slap and would be made to sleep on the couch. No, they weren't sleeping together. But she could do it. And she would, until he would tell her what was wrong. That was the thing with Hwa. She always got what she wanted.

He let out a sigh and with that, what troubled him. "I just feel that everything will go wrong from this point on. _Everything."_

Ryun nodded. She didn't blame him, she was part of the reason he had to now build his life upon uncertainty. Well, greater than the usual amount. She closed her eye and blurted out."Then you better enjoy it. And be glad they sent me to supervise and not the Mad Puppy or someone else. I'm not the big scary monster in the closet, you don't need to be afraid that I will try to screw this whole thing over for FUG."

"I'm not afraid. Really." Hwa Ryun started walking away, seemingly ignoring him. However, the direction she was heading to... "Oh come on, I didn't even lie on that last one."  
"Which means that you lied on all the previous ones, thus my actions are justified."  
"Sigh..."

Two things had not changed in the past 8 years Viole was on the Tower. Hwa Ryun and his understanding of women. Stopping himself from banging his head on a wall to knock himself out of his misery, Viole picked up the groceries and headed towards the kitchen, meeting endless mountains of potatoes, Beta -still twitching from utter disgust- and Wangnan, being buried in the potatoes and seemingly with more cuts than hair. "You know, you could always order."

"...Shhhhh-"


	2. Chapter 2

Bandaids. A blessing from above for Wangnan. The miracle of short stretch compression sticky plastic with a block of cotton on the middle that allows one's cut hands be relieved from the constant pain and agony of the one thing no man could face...Cuts. And a ton of them.

Stretching a bit, he took the peeled and freshly cut potatoes and started frying them in olive oil, the smell of the freshly fried root spreading throughout the kitchen in a matter of moments. It was a sweet smell, as Beta, like a fly, was quickly attracted to it and the frying pan it came from. They seemed...Tasty. At least more than before. He almost wanted to reach out and grab one. But...  
"Don't. Even. Think about it."  
"Almost want" is as good as "Want" in Beta's head.  
_Psssss_.  
At least "Aaaah" had the same meaning of pain as to everyone else.

Yihwa sat up in her bed. . Her face was almost lifeless. Her skin, usually white like snow, had become a sickly pale shadow of its former glory. Her hair didn't shine anymore, nor did her fuchsia flaring eyes. She felt...Defeated.

Mostly because of Androssi's presence.

She was extravagant, Yihwa admitted it. She had grace, in and out of combat. She had beauty, she had power, she had everything. And most of all, she knew Viole better than she would ever hope to.

It was moments like this when Yihwa wished she had inherited more of her mother's charms and beauty.

Up until that point, she thought that she had a chance with Viole. She really did. But fate had other plans, apparently. Moments like this was when she understood, if only partially, her mother's decision to never embrace a man. Love hurt.

_Aaaaaah!_

That scream was more than enough to pull Yihwa back into reality. What in heaven's name they were doing back there? Reluctantly, she got up from her bed and slowly walked over the door. She could hear the heavy footsteps of Rak, who was running to help the "puny bandage turtle" over his messed up sense of pride and responsibility he had over the group. When she opened the wooden door, she barely caught a glimpse of Verdi, who had clutched herself on his back like a cape. _Huh. Who would know that the dinosaur would be so big after all?_ She started strolling over the kitchen, the smell of burned -well, fried- flesh hitting her nose quickly. The screams of "pain and agony", as the idiotic self-victimized test experiment so proudly proclaimed his suffering to be, stopped her in her tracks, as she got a full picture of what happened without having to go to the kitchen. She didn't feel sorry for the idiot. _I mean, who in their right or twisted even mind puts his hand into boiling oil?!_

As she headed back to her room, however, a certain Slayer Candidate reminded her of who did.

It was part of a game on the Archimedes. It was a shinsoo strengthening test disguised as a bravery test, so to speak. The objective was simple, really. There was a key inside each pot of boiling oil and the contestants had to put their hands in the pot and take the key and then head to the doors behind to put them in. Like the "plug" test, but with oil as an extra. Out of 25 Regulars, only 5 would pass on the next phase of the test, which was an outright battle.

Some of the contestants had simplified their lives by stealing the key from the people who either by some fancy gadget or a technique they learned as they climbed claimed the key, only to have it stolen by somebody else and the thief then would be theft and so on and so long. She had it easy. Even though her contract made her quite vulnerable to high or low temperatures, making summers and winters her own personal circles of hell at times, it did offer her an extraordinary resistance against extreme temperatures, including boiling oil. She just grabbed the key and rocketed herself to the door, ending her part in the first section of the game rather quickly. _But Viole? Nooooo. He had to be Mr. Tough-nut and put his bare hand in the oil, without any kind of protection or hesitation! Honestly, is he insane or plainly stupid? And then denying medical attention. Yes, we know you're tough, you don't need to show off!_ His show of idiocy would be something to laugh upon on any other situation, but this time, the audience was just too stunned or too horrified to even _think_ of laughing.

She still cringed from time to time from the memory.

She looked at his hand without realizing it. At first sight perfectly healthy, but as you looked, you could notice the small wrinkles or the overall redder exterior than the rest of his body. It reminded her a truth she had been avoiding the past two years she knew him. No matter how strong he was, he was not indestructible. First Urek, then the Mad Dog of Yama, the oil test. It reminded her that he was quite as mortal as any of them.

As she stared at the man and her focus was finally leaving his somewhat scarred hand, she finally noticed the full picture of what she was seeing.

Viole was in front of his door...On his knees...Yelling? _Did the Cyclops get mad at him again? But even if that's the case, being mad won't help you... _

"Come on, unlock the door! You're being childish right now!"

"Go. Away."

_Wait, Ran? What is _he_ doing inside _his_ room?_

_"Daw, you're such a sugar, applepie~"_

_...Yeah, I would search for shelter too..._

Yihwa didn't mind Traveler and Emile. In fact, she actually liked their pure and somewhat comedic romance they had. But, their sweettalk sessions were...Well, how to put it...

_"Aren't you a little croissant?"_

...Not pretty. Yihwa found herself many times wanting to puke out her lunch. Childish, yes...But they overdid it.

"Ran, unlock. The door! I need to secure my pillows and plankets. I'm not going to sleep on the floor cold again." _So Ryun _did_ get mad at you..._

Yihwa walked over and sat by the wall, Viole banging already his head on the hard wooden door in frustration. Ryun didn't visit often, but when she did, she punished Viole often by making him sleep on the couch -and because that was usually occupied, the floor-, while she occupied the bed. Now that she was going to stay with them, she could see this becoming a habit.

But Hwa wasn't unreasonable. She never "punished" Viole for the hell of it, she had a very good reason each time. She remembered when he had woken the first time from Urek's attack. She didn't let him get up from bed for two weeks and when he fully recovered, she didn't let him get on his bed for four weeks. Wangnan called her "Miss Grace" mockingly, a joke that Yihwa didn't like much. Or at least, the implications behind it.

Viole sighed and she followed cue, accompanying hers with a suggestion. "You know, you could always borrow one of my own. It's not like I need two pillows to sleep."  
"Nah, don't bother yourself. Knowing her, she would call this a conspiracy and make you too lose your bed."

"What did you do this time?"

"...I said that I was not worried over what would happen to the team..."  
"...But you are?"  
"How can I not? We are...Together. Relaxed. Happy."  
She raised one of her delicate eyebrows in question. "How is that a problem?"  
"Trust me, if you lived my life, you would know that me and happiness don't go well together... We just...Don't fit. The moment something good happens, a thousand bad will overshadow it and then start crushing down like an avalance."  
"Then why don't you try to enjoy it while it lasts?"

"That's what she said..."

Yihwa tilted her head, once again in confusion on the sudden joke.  
"...I don't see how this is a "That's what she said" joke..."

"What-Oh! No no, what I- Uh, what I meant was- Oh n-no, what I wanted to say was that that's exactly what Hwa Ryun said, t-to enjoy it while it lasts. S-Slip of the tongue."

The Flare chuckled a bit at his antics. He could be so cute when he was flustered. She liked that soft side of him and she liked it that it started to show more and more often. _I bet he was so cute as a kid. Teddy bear level of cute... _

She laughed rather audibly , receiving a very visible blush as a response. She would comment on it, but at the rate they were going, he might start melting away from the embarrassment, so she left it at that.

But that didn't mean she would stop teasing him.

"Oh really? Are you certain you weren't trying to pass a sex joke past the radar? And here I thought you weren't interested in my body. Well, I guess lovebirds number 1 and 2 awakened the beast within ya!"

She laughed in fake mockery, but her corner of her eye caught Viole's quick change of expression from the glowing one to the stoic one. She also noticed the left side of his mouth twitch in a small smirk. Yiwha was not a mind reader. But she could tell what he thought that moment. _Two can play this game, you know._

He raised his hand in an exaggerated performance and closed his eyes as he started to rant out in a matter-of-fact voice. "I was just being a proper gentleman. It's not quite acceptable from society for a grown man to even date such a young and vibrant _teenage girl_. People these days, they say all kinds of things you know."

Something twitched on her forehead. Teenage girl? _She_?

"I'm 2 inches taller than you."  
"_Were_ 2 inches taller than me and if height was a factor for age, Teddy and Amigochaz would be ancient. Besides..." He shook his head and let his hair flow in pseudo-pride. "My hair is much softer."

"And girlier too. If we were in a relationship, it's quite obvious that I would be wearing the pa-"  
_"WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP?! YOU'RE EVEN WORSE THAN THEM! AND VIOLE, SERIOUSLY, PICK _ONE_! YOU'RE MAKING MY LIFE ANNOYING!"_

Silence followed the two, before they burst out in small giggles at the expense of their white-haired dwarfish friend.

Agero passed by to witness this moment, nothing but strange in his azure eyes. He shook his head in disapproval. "That's it, no more decaf. Normal coffee from now on."


	3. Chapter 3

Dinner was ready soon after taking care of Beta's self-inflicted 3rd degree burns. After Wangnan set the dishes on the table, he called the rest of his teammates for dinner with a simple "Dinner's ready!".

The first ones that seated themselves on the long table were, aside from Beta who had claimed a place anyway so that Rak could bandage his hands up, were Verdi and Miseng. The former just climbed down Mount Rak-e-rest, while the latter just came out of her hiding spot; The counter. As soon as she too seated herself by Verdi's side, she started sharing pictures of her latest catches; Emile and Traveler's sweet talking sessions, Androssi's panties(?), Viole and Yihwa hanging out, Ryun changing clothes. The two's fun was amplified with Nare coming and giving her two cents of what they could do with these pictures. Namely, sell them at a reasonably exaggerated price at the black market.

Akraptor cringed a bit. At least Miseng had found somebody her age to hang out with. That and Verdi thankfully changed her hobby. Having to clean up the closets from people in doll dresses had become too much of a chore for him.

The silverfish rubbed his chin in thought. They were soon going to need a bigger house. Either that or go and occupy a condominium somewhere. They were a tiny bit too many right now and no matter how much Wangnan insisted, he was by no means having the girls stay in _his_ room. The carrothead was too much of a pervert to be trusted.

As he rubbed his chin though, his thoughts of new accommodation drifting away immediately and were replaced by those of admiration for...his newly acquired goatee.

He bet, it made him look so manly and mature. He smirked at himself mostly and kept rubbing it and feeling it under his rough touch. He could get used to it.

_Slash!_

Others? Not so much.

"..."  
"It was disturbing, thus I took the liberty to remove it." said Hatsu.

Others, however, did not share his _grand_ visions of glamour.

Akraptor kept rubbing his chin, now smooth and freshly shaved. It took him quite a few seconds to realize it was now gone and just as many to accept the cruel truth of its loss...Which he acknowledged by letting his head fall forward. _Maybe he'll cut Viole's hair short...At least I'll get some amusement from that if it happens._

* * *

Wangnan served the food to his expecting roommates. The sausages accompanied by the fries and salad might have been simple, but enough to satisfy his team's hunger. As he served though, a question kept popping up in his head, a question which Beta, who had seen the whole process of his cooking, decided to declare.

"When the hell did you make sausages and salad?"

"Honestly, I have no idea."

He served the rest of the food and then he too seated himself by the table. Before digging in himself, he looked around, checking out the new members of the team.

Dan was sitting between Rak and Novick, having a fiery debate with the latter whether a battle could be won with speed or brawn. Even though Novick reminded him of the dozens of times he made him one with the wall, Dan was adamant that speed was the greatest factor.

Ran was right next to Novick, enjoying, if one could call it that, his dinner. No matter what the small blur of lighting and wrath said, Wangnan was certain that Ran actually liked hanging out with Novick. In fact, he was certain that he liked to hang out with everyone.

"CAN THE TWO OF YOU SHUT IT, I'M TRYING TO EAT IN PEACE HERE!"  
...He was just...sigh...And constantly pissed off.

"But Mr. Ran, they raise a pretty interesting point here."

Hong Chunhwa. He seemed pretty normal without his grotesque white armor. Almost attractive, he admitted. Perhaps that was the reason why Nare, the otherwise money-hungry midget, melted at his presence. Either that or it was a very_ very_ expensive piece of armor.

Thankfully, she was seated away from the knight in parked armor -_Seriously, that thing is a mecha, _not_ an armor!_-, the other two equally energetic girls being the wall between them, so dinner was bearable and drool-less. Speaking of drools...

"Say 'ah', my petit bonbon."  
Those two were moving diabetes. And Traveler's pick-up lines so...so...So cheesy.

He could forgive them. Emile ,being destined to become a superweapon, had to live most of her life in a tank and be pumped with whatever in heaven's name those scientists thought would be beneficial for her growth as one, could only dream of experiencing love. And Traveler, who was the only one who saw through the machinery, was all willing to give her that love. It was sweet, really.

"Hmhmhm...Ah~"  
_...Maybe too sweet..._

At least Reflejo, who was right next to the _blast_, didn't seem to mind. Nor did Vespa, but being a bee, she was naturally attracted to sweetness, so didn't count as much as Reflejo.

Wangnan had to always stare a little bit longer to actually connect this man to the masked vigilante. Without his mask, no matter how hard it was for Wangnan to believe, he seemed even more threatening. His whole body was a mass of black iron, with orange circuit-like lines running all over it. His eyes too fashioned such colors. And no matter how feminine his face was, it still had that stoicism, that ironclad determination. At least when he was not being Captain Servant. But no matter what, to Wangnan's eyes, one thing was certain. He was a true Ironman.

His grotesque appearance however didn't dishearten Wangnan to know him better. Apparently, he was quite the tailor and his applepie was rivaling that of Viole's. _He did say that he used _Master's_ recipe so he could relive _Master_ from his cooking duties...I'm hanging out too much with him... _

By his side were the half-Devils. Although one would expect Teddy to be the one with the ridiculous amounts of food in his plate, it was Cassano that surpassed them all. He was still developing, he said, but everybody knew it was just his excuse to eat more. Where that extra food went, he had no idea. Hatsu, who was in between them, was almost squeezed into oblivion. He seemed rather irritated by it. His fingers twitched rather violently, an act that was only amplified by Horyang's messy eating habits. Nor did Cassano's overflowing plate.

Speaking of extra food, he sure knew where it went in a certain Hellion's case. She was right now clinging to a certain Slayer Candidate, perhaps in reaction of the clinging of a certain Princess.

Wangnan admitted it, he was somewhat jealous of the Slayer Candidate. Not because of his power, not because of his ability to gain allies from the weirdest groups, but namely because of the way he attracted women his way. It was an ability that went wasted though..._ For FUCK'S sake, he didn't look at them once! They are three times bigger than 2 years ago! I mean, how the hell is that even possible?! Look, they're even touching him! AT LEAST PEAK ONCE! ONNNNCE! _

Sighing away his inner tantrum, he noticed said Slayer Candidate's guide, who was now upside-down, eating from her own plate -or at least when she wasn't stealthily stealing from Viole's or she wasn't participating in the whole scene. _We really need a bigger house... Maybe I should start looking tomorrow..._

He looked around the table and to the counters, where the rest of their new teammates were sitting. Amigochaz and Laure, for example, were by the sink, the former keeping the latter awake enough to at least eat his food. Prince, on the other side of the room, was grimacing with each bite he took, perhaps from the extra salt Wangnan oh-so-accidentally slipped in.

But he was not the only one grimacing. Xia Xia too was not really appreciative of his choice of a meal. And to be more precise, the meat. _...Oops..._ The Prince was glad he didn't make roasted rabbit for dinner. It would end very painfully for him. He was lucky enough that she didn't throw a tantrum, or in the case she did, that between them there were people. _Not like it would matter...Eugh.._.

Anak, on the other hand, didn't like the salad. Or at least it was the most accessible of all when it came to assaulting Leesoo. Judging from their argument -or at least her calling him names and him apologizing-, he had just stepped on her tail. He could still see the footprint his shoe left on it, as it waved around and knocked the plates off her teammates hands. And as she did, the whole kitchen started falling apart, much to horror of those that witnessed the event. It was like a domino effect. Her tail would hit Laure, who would in turn knock Amigo forward, who would then imbalance Ryun, who would then fall on Viole, who would in turn startle Yihwa, who would start a fire, which in turn would make Hatsu snap and start waving his extra long blade in the otherwise small room...And so on and so long. Laure just used this chance to doze off, as he didn't have the obligation to eat anymore. Beta, on the other hand...  
"Seriously, I'll get you another plate, don't eat it from the floor."  
"But it's so good!"  
"Sigh...And suddenly, I'm a babysitter..."

* * *

Although it was Wangnan's turn to cook, the cleaning duty fell on the hands of a lizardy half-Princess. After all, half of the damage done in the kitchen was caused by her. The other half? From a clumsy arsonist, which in turn was also her fault. Hatsu's contribution to the catastrophe was almost insignificant.

Heaving a sigh, she placed the next plate on the growing stack, before letting the audible sound of breaking dishes fill the otherwise empty room. After she banged her head on the wall -which didn't break-, she went to fetch the broom to clean up the floor's mess.

A bad idea, as she quickly found out. Her habit to walk around barefoot bit her back, the small pieces of porcelain and wood impaling her green feet. She hissed and jumped on the counter, but not before she gained a small cut from a lying knife on her tail. "Today's not my day." She inspected her foot, two small pieces of glass resting in her flesh, while blood was slowly dripping from the wound. "I should really invest on a pair of shoes..."  
"Until then, I think that some bandages would be more useful."

Novick. Anak's image of him was rather contradicting. Although when she first met him, he was a mockery of whatever a fisherman/spear bearer should be like and was more fit to be the comic relief tough guy in a manga, on their rematch, he was quick, devastating, deadly. It was the whole Ha Yuri Zahard meeting all over again. It made her wonder whether it was indeed the Zahard princesses that were the ultimate species and not the Family of Supermen the two came from. _He grabbed the spear with his teeth. How much more crazy can this get?_

His sudden appearance didn't surprise Anak at all. She more or less expected him to appear for some time now. After all, amongst the many things Novick was, he was, above all else, a clean freak, as well as a cook, a good sewer, did the laundry with Baam... _Those two are housewives #1 and #2...Speaking of him, where is he?_

_"Okay, it will be either you two lovey dovey canoodling on the couch...Or me, sleeping on it. And I've just lost my bed."  
...Lovey dovey canoo...Never mind..._

Ignoring the following struggle between Viole and Goggles -_Man, he must be really desperate to not sleep on the floor-_, Anak's galactic eyes fell on the towering Ha, who was now searching the first aid kit for some bandages.

"So, Captain Housewife decided to play Doctor?"

"If I decided to play Doctor, Mr. Leesoo would get upset. Besides, frankly speaking, you're not my type." Her healthier foot met his face. "..._Ouch..._"  
"Nobody ever asked you, ape." The smirk that crawled its way on his lips received him another kick from her injured leg this time, a foul decision on her part.

"Ouch!"  
"Hehehe..."  
"Just treat it already, Captain Housewife!"  
"Not so 'Mr. Ape' now, are we? Lizard?"

"Grrr!"

It was like hitting a concrete wall with very thin threads of iron sewed in it. Thankfully, his lack of any kind of facial hair prevented her from finding out whether his hair was made of razors or not. _At this rate, he'll have heat vision and freeze breathe...Scratch the latter, heat vision. _She vaguely remembered their fight, as she was unconscious on the most part, but the image of him blowing Leesoo away with the power of his lungs alone seemed to play itself over and over in her head. _I guess I hit my head harder than I thought. That and I will have to drop those comics._

She watched him treat her leg, with unusual care for a brute of his size, she might add. Well, he did have to learn how to be careful, she thought. After all, all those dishes would be turned into dust with a single stroke if he didn't learn to control that superior strength of his. It was the drawback of the Superman Contract, as people mockingly called it. Unrivaled strength to the cost of, well, unrivaled strength.

"And we're done. And before you say it, no, bandages are not a replacement for solid footwear."

"Hm. They could have fooled me. They have the same annoying feeling as shoes. If not more annoying. I could just use shinsoo strengthening and waltz through the glass as if it was grass."  
"And let you leave stomp marks on the floor? No way, Reflejo will kill you and then kill me for letting you."  
"So it's true."  
"Yes...We are nearly broke..."  
"That's just sad..."  
"Yup... So!" he got up from his kneeling position. "I believe that you should go and sleep. Kids don't grow tall by pulling all-nighters." He walked out of the room, but Anak still shouted at him. He could hear him, he didn't go that far away.

"If you didn't notice, I have dishes to do and a floor to clean."  
"And if you didn't notice, I did those while you were daydreaming of my abs."  
She looked at the sink and floor, to witness the apparent truth. "Seriously, what's next? X-Ray vision?" she joked. She was going to promote him from Captain to Super, she'd give him that much.

"Don't be silly. I can see through lead." he joked back.

_Nope...Captain is fine. His humor sucks..._

She jumped off the counter, whimpering a bit from the sudden impact on the ground. Novick's VIP care of her wound made her forget a bit of how bad it actually was. So bad that she had to limp her way out of the kitchen. She was not going to reach her room with her foot like that, she settled for the nearest pillow fortress in the living room.

_..._

She checked again and her eyes were unfortunately not decieving her.

"Seriously. That's just pathetic."

"I'm not sleeping on the floor again!"

"Whatever you say, Peace boy."

He had at least the tendency to leave some of the pillows out of the fortress for others to come and take. Not that she minded ruining his little stronghold of cotton. But she wouldn't bother herself with it either. All she wanted was a good 15 hours of sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Six fifteen. Morning.

Ryun wasn't exactly an early person, her _job_ demanding her to work until late or have nightly shifts. Being a freelance guide, no matter how skilled or popular, wasn't exactly the best way to pay one's bills, or at least in her occasion, where she had to guide only one man to the path of a regicide. _More like a boy, really. Sure, a bit older in the body, but... _

She sighed a bit to herself and sat up on _his _bed. It was a comfortable bed, carrying his own unique smell on it. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but if she didn't know better, she'd say he smelled like chestnuts. _Sometimes, I feel that he enforces the joke on himself... _She got up from the bed and started searching for her clothes. Her clothes were all in her room and because of her eagerness to carry out her punishment, she had not taken her pajamas from it. She was afraid that he would take this opportunity to go in his room and lock himself in. She of course knew that Viole was not such a person and he would take a punishment that he truly deserved, but the number of times he had to sleep on the floor might have changed that. So, she ended up not changing her clothes and going straight into his room, locking the door behind her as soon as she closed it. And she detested sleeping with normal clothes, ending up sleeping in her underwear in the middle of autumn. They were uncomfortable, really, not to mention they got wrinkled beyond redemption. She also hated sleeping in her underwear, unless of course it was summer, but right now, it was the lesser of two evils.

She finally found them, lying messily on his chair, by his desk. Being the curious woman she was, she didn't hesitate to search a bit his stuff. Viole didn't have that many possessions anyway, except perhaps of the great amounts of clothes he had, courtesy of Jinsung. _Maybe I should tell him to cut it down with the clothes...He has more than me..._ Trying to ignore the overflowing wardrobe, her attention was immediately drawn from the cards on the desk, randomly lying around in a disorganized manner. They were from the worn out deck he always carried with him, their color blurred from either extreme usage or other factors. She picked some carefully, afraid that she might accidentally break his precious possession. He loved cards, or at least the magic tricks one could perform with them. He was not taught by anyone, not even Rachel before she found him. He just...knew how to perform the tricks. He once shared with her his belief that he must have been a street performer before falling in the cave and losing his memories. A theory Ryun destroyed immediately. If that was the case, somebody knew him and somebody, judging that this is Baam they are talking about, would search for him and eventually find him. And since they both know how somebody finding him ended up, he too let go of that theory. That didn't make him let go of the tricks though. Even back in his training days, he would always find time to practice this unorthodox hobby of his. It was stupid, really. Fascinated by all the simple and wrong things. He would be more mesmerized by a butterfly than a Wave Controller nullifying the force of gravity itself. By a waterfall instead by a colossal Shinheuh with the power to annihilate entire cities with the power of its breathe. But, this was who he was. _Although I'll have to admit it that balancing 8 cards one on top of another with no shinsoo _is_ kind of amazing...Or always knowing which card I picked...Or when shuffled the cards and made them go at the right order...Or when- Okay, that's enough, fine, his card tricks are amazing, I admit it. _She pouted. He just beat her in an argument whether magic tricks were more amazing than miracles of shinsoo by not even participating in the debate. And she let him do it in her own head. Just great. Exactly what she needed for a wakeup call.

Frustrated, she put on her blouse, only to unceremoniously remember last dinner's catastrophe had left her clothes stained. She sat on his bed in irritation. She could go back to her room and grab some other clothing. But the chance that she would fall on somebody and give them a show was not one she wanted to risk taking. She might be flirtarious -towards Viole at least-, but she was by no means without chastity. And she didn't want to wear her dirty clothes either. _And I don't want to give Ghostly Eyeballs a reason to gloat...What to do, what to do..._Her eye traveled at his wardrobe, making her smirk in the process.

"I'm sure he won't mind~"

Being a Princess of Zahard was hard. They had to abide on countless of rules for the exchange of power, the forbiddance of carrying children being the most well known one in the book. There were other rules however, some more annoying than others.

One of those rules was for a Princess to be in shape. It was not written in any book, nor was one going to go through tests to check the fitness of a Princess. It was more of a matter of presentation. Being a Princess meant being the ultimate species of the Tower and no woman would qualify as that if she was chubby and out of shape.

Androssi was far from either chubby or out of shape. Quite the opposite, in fact, she had trouble of gaining weight, something she desperately tried to do to give her curves a boost. A desire of hers that was amplified by joining this new team and inadvertently meeting _that Yeon_. Because, no matter how gracious or gorgeous a woman can be, one fact was certain and true; Men liked breasts. Big breasts. Something she lacked in comparison with her.

And because of her inheritted beauty, that girl was stealing the show by just being in the room. If she took better care of her appearance and had more self confidence, she would have every man on her feet. _Except perhaps B...Unless that timid persona of hers is a way to get to him, because, I have to say, it seems to work. Maybe that's what he's into? Timid girls? _She never thought about trying to be timid. She never had to. Her power was something she gained after a lot of pain and exhaustion, almost dying more than once to claim it. She had every right to brag, for both her beauty and strength. She was not going to change her ways just for one man who might not even notice the existence of the opposite sex. _Sigh...We wouldn't have to deal with this if a _real_ woman educated him properly. Or a guy. Guys are better to explain these things to guys. Hmmm, maybe I could convince Leesoo and Koon to give him some heads-up._

Wearing her work-out outfit, she got out from her room and walked down the hallway. It was half past six, so there was little to no chance for her to bump into somebody.

_Click._

_Ah, that little chance we were talking about._

"If it isn't the Cyclops." she greeted monotonously. "Had fun enjoying his bed?"

Ryun turned her way, her all-watching eye missing that mischievous glow it usually had. For Androssi, this could only mean one thing; Not enough sleep. She did work at nights, if Androssi remembered correctly, so waking up at six in the morning was the equal of no sleep for her. _Wait, didn't she have this week off... _The lack of sleep however did nothing to soften her tongue, nor her playful attitude.

"Yes, actually, I did. Still has that sweet scent of roasted chestnuts on it."  
Her honey eyes stared in disbelief at the redhead. Chestnuts? _Seriously_? _Is he trying to make a running gag out of himself?_ While staring, however, Androssi noticed that something was out of place with her. She took a step backwards and took a better look of the Red Witch. A black blouse with long sleeves and black louse pants. Both definitely oversized for her petite body. Androssi then noticed a little buckle of clothes in her hands, giving her the clue of exactly what Ryun did.

She decided not to comment on it, even though she really _really _wanted to. But, doing so, would start a fight that would most likely wake everybody up and the last thing she wanted was to start fighting with Lizard. _After all, it's more fun when it's not too often. Makes you savor the feeling of adrenaline. _Besides, knowing her, it was simple to know what happened; She punished Baam for something by taking his bed, rushed in the room to make sure he doesn't go rebel and take his room before her, she forgot her clothes, she didn't want to wear dirty clothes in case she bumped into somebody, felt a little playful, she borrowed his. End of the story. Nothing to get worked up about. However...  
"They fit...Awfully well on you..."  
Ryun didn't seem to catch up at what Androssi meant until she shifted her eye to what she was looking at; her clothes. "...Well..." she hesitated. "Now that you mention it... He needs to build up more muscle..."

"A lot more muscle."

_Click._

"Huh? Oh, Morning, ladies."

It appeared that somebody else had the same thoughts as her, said somebody being Wangnan. Wangnan wasn't a bad person. And although he was a fanboy -something she witnessed by the incredible amounts of magazines featuring _her_ he had-, he was less annoying than the rest of the lot. Nor did he seem to have an unrequited crush with her, something that made interacting with him bearable and actually fun.

"Wait, Viole's clothes...Could it be...You're officially 'Miss Grace' now?"

At least when he didn't try to be funny.

The redhead beside her replied with a sigh. "Yes, Wangnan. I had him tied up on his bed and I forced myself on him. We went on all night long. And then, I decided to put on his clothes, to show off my ownership over him. I stopped because I need to go to the store . We ran out of condoms." Her monotonous voice was more than enough to give him a clue, a clue he fortunately caught.

"...Anyway...Are you two out for jogging too?"

Ryun shook her head. "Not my thing." She walked out of the two's sight, her now unsuppressed yawn barely audible to the two's ears. She didn't seem to plan on changing into other garments any time soon, because after throwing the ones she held in the laundry room, she simply strolled off to the living room.

Androssi walked to the exit's way, Wangnan quickly following her behind her. The more the merrier, they said. _I just hope he doesn't hold me back. But what he is going to last, one, maybe two kilometers? He'll probably give up quickly, he's not stupid enough to think he can jog too long with a Zahardian Princess._

Last night's sleep was a little rough around the edges. Just when she was about to get a good night's sleep, somebody decided to raid towards her door with his head. That somebody was Traveler. She could tell from the swearing in French, and then Emile comforting him in the same language. Yihwa looked at her pocket. _Aren't these things supposed to be omnilinquistic translators? Then how come I don't get a word of what they say? _From the few words she managed to catch, it appeared that Viole had launched him away from the living room to get the couch. He didn't seem too happy about, but after a smooch from his dearest Emile, he seemed to have forgotten the incident almost immediately.

In any other case, she would have stormed out and burned everything she saw. But, the kids' rooms were near hers, and unlike her, they needed whatever sleep they got. So she settled with letting her annoyance burn inside her.

She had trouble trying to find her lost sleep, leaving in the end Yihwa sleeping less than she planned to do. If it weren't for her stupid habit to wake up at seven in the morning, she would have given herself another 3 hours of sleep.

She thankfully didn't suffer much from the curse of not being an early person, so getting off her bed wasn't too hard. She didn't bother changing from her pajamas. Though autumn, she sported just shorts and a T-shirt. _I really need to go shopping...again...I better call mom, she will know how I'm supposed to wash these things. They just keep getting smaller. _Even though she was the head of the Yeon Family, Yeon Hana preferred to live without the luxuries a woman of her status was expected to live in. Thus, things like laundry or shrunk T-Shirts were rather familiar words for her. A useful fact for Yihwa. This wasn't a subject she'd like to discuss with somebody else. It would be embarrassing if others found out she kept shrinking her shirts.

A voice outside her door got her out of her trance, belonging to no other than Hwa Ryun, Viole's guide.

_"...Well, this is surprising..."_

Wondering what moved the Red Witch's interest, she headed for the living room. She opened the door and did nothing but stare at the scene.

Aside from the fortress of pillows that was by no doubt Viole's or the fight that had gone on in here with Anak -she obviously tried to claim some more than the share Viole left out, apparently-, Ryun was floating with her staff, upside down, as she tended to, trying to find the best spot to jump off and on Viole's fortress.

"What are you doing?"

Not expecting the Flare's presence, Ryun lost her balance a bit and fell on the hard floor, surprisingly waking none of the other two. Even after her yelp of pain, Viole's steady breathes and Anak's slight snore was what filled the silent room. Ryun looked her way, not quite happy for her sudden introduction. Actually, she was not happy at all.

If stares shot daggers, Yihwa should be a dead woman by now.

"If it wasn't obvious enough..." she began "I was playing."

"By waking up Viole?"

"Aren't you a little detective." said Ryun with a drowsy, slurred voice. "Besides, it's seven in the morning, he said that he wanted to go and work today. I'm just giving him a wake-up call."

It was true. He did say that last night, just before catastrophe ensued and Ryun fell on him. The team's economics didn't go too well this month and they didn't seem that they would go upwards for a while. After all, FUG cut his fundings.

There were two reasons they did that. One more related to her than the other.

The first reason was because, apparently, there was a bet in FUG, whether Viole's Elite Team would win against Team Tangsooyuk or not. The odds were against them, but they did manage to do it and defeat them. Unfortunately, most of the Elders and Slayers that took part in the bet had betted on Team T's loss, so their unexpected victory didn't please them, removing their...sponsoring from the Slayer Candidate for a year. Plus, they must have seen through him losing on purpose. It still bothered her a bit that it happened this way, but she was also glad. He actually wanted to be with he...them, even risking his reputation and friends to do it. FUG must have seen through that little... rebellion on his part, but decided to let it slip. Even if Viole didn't let them win, the odds weren't on his side at the time anyway. She doubted, however, whether they would allow him do that a second time.

The second reason they cut his funding was because of her...And Xia Xia. Apparently, Miss Hop-Hop (another nickname, courtesy of Viole), had tried to cook a few times before, with exploding results each time. When it was Yihwa's turn to cook, she accepted her help ignoring that fact, ending up causing three times the destruction she would normally cause, thus extending the time they wouldn't be funded by FUG from 6 months to 1 year. She could still remember Yu Hansung's voice screaming through the phone to Reflejo, the latter apologizing and begging him to revise his decision.

...It was not a pretty sight...

"Don't you ever get tired?"  
"I _am_. That doesn't mean I won't play."

"Sigh...Just let the guy sleep...Ryun? Oh, come on..."

Trying to reason with that woman was pointless, so Yihwa didn't even bother to convince her out of her gag. All that was left to do was stop her herself, before she ruined Viole's sleep...And fortress. _If they told me 2 years ago that I would be in the same team with a Slayer Candidate that makes couch fortresses, I would honestly call them crazy. But here I am, defending his castle... Sigh, let's just get over with this..._ She carefully walked over Anak's sleeping body and reached the floating Witch, who had begun countdown. She grabbed her staff, a mistake she would surely find out...

"Idiot! Watch where you're grabbing! I'll lose my balAAA-!"

...Right now.

Yihwa gave in the sudden weight the surprisingly heavy rod and its host had and she too joined her in her fall.

_Thud._

"...So, what where you saying about letting the guy sleep?"  
"Oh shut up."

Aside from the stance the three of them were in, which was pure material to create amazing misunderstandings, there were more discomforts rather than the predating eyes of those who might come in the room and see this questionably coincidental pose. Anak at least, who woke up also from the turmoil, was not awake enough to understand what she saw, so she just went back to sleep with a simple "Shut it" and by covering herself with one of the pillows. One of said discomforts were somebody's ever-growing chest cutting Viole's air. Another discomfort was a redhead's knee, that fell right on his...Uh...Package...

"You see, this is the problem with you. If you hadn't interfered, this would look and be more fun!"  
"Your sense of fun is for the toilet!"

"Girls!" He pleaded with his air almost cut off. "Get! Off!" But with no response or hope.

"Alright, let's see. Boys, did you get everything I told you too? Novick? Ran? B?"

Money didn't grow on trees. Or at least the value they represent, as money is made of paper, which comes from trees, which technically means that yes, money _does_ grow on trees. But that was a fact Agero could not use on his advantage. Not that he wouldn't, but there were easier ways to make money.

Street performing was one of said ways and right now their current choice.

Having made their faces known all over the Tower, Baam, Ran and Novick couldn't exactly wander around without being swarmed by tons of fans and suffering a rather suffocating death.

Agero wondered how Viole's loss didn't damage his reputation, though. He lost against the team with the least odds, yet everybody were shook and awed whenever they heard his name. _I guess beating the top E-Rank Regular has its benefits._

Agero was in his Mr. Mask clothing, his hair already dyed in a blinding shade of blonde. All that was left for him to put on was his mask, left lying on the coffee table. Viole sported a white domino mask and a top hat with a joker card on it, as well as a cape. He had let his hair loose, giving him a very magician-ish look. He insisted on also having a cane, but the girls wouldn't let him near one. Next thing they knew, he would grow a goatee and call himself Viole the Magnificent. It was already bad enough having nicknamed himself "Mr. 25".

Ran had gone with a more simple outfit, consisting by his single hooded coat and covering his face with a scarf. And as for Novick...Well...  
"Can you explain to me how an Oni mask is mysterious and attracts costumers?" said Agero strictly. "Seriously, you look like something that popped out of my nightmares. And my nightmares are not pretty."

He just received a shrug, a movement that could hardly go unnoticed, considering how big he looked. The extra big shoulder plates and the red rug he passed as a hood didn't exactly make him look huggable either.

"So." started Viole, rather eager to go and start his show. "If we are all ready, let's g-"  
"Hold it right there."  
The group of four was halted from the voice of Yihwa, who seemed rather edgy. Even a little pissed off, one would say.

She reached out her right hand, as if asking for something from Viole. He didn't quite understand what she meant until he looked down nonchalantly, seeing what was the problem.

With an apologetic look on his face, he reached out in his right pocket, where he always seemed to keep the black, freshly stolen leggings of Yihwa or any other female that was unfortunate enough to walk by him. It wasn't something he did consciously, which was the purpose of why he was taught to do that in the first place. If he could steal stockings mechanically, then he could deflect a hit just as easily. Unfortunately, what Ryun didn't have in mind was that actual combat automatic defense mechanism was a little more complex and different than automatic panty stealing. Resulting in it staying as that. A perverted habit that would haunt him the rest of his life.

Embarrassed with himself, he handed over the shorts, muttering a silent apology to the Flare, before she skipped away pleased that she got her pieces of clothing back.

Three pairs of eyes were tearing holes on the unfortunate Slayer Candidate's back.  
"I **don't **do it on purpose." he exclaimed, yet nobody believed him.

Heaving a sigh, Viole headed first for the door, before the rest followed him. Not quietly, much to his charging. "Not like it matters to you, seeing how you didn't take your eyes off her ass while she was leaving." said the Ha smirking. "And here I thought of you as a boob person."

Weren't it for his peaceful nature, Novick's chin would make acquaintances with a fist that can break steel and crack the floor open.

Stretching her legs in her own clothes now, Ryun kept zapping through the channels, trying to find anything entertaining on TV. Usually, she would use her time to play with the girls and perhaps troll them a bit, but that would be if they were awake. Not a problem for Hwa Ryun, you think , yes? Well no. They are kids. Ryun at least respects their need for a little more sleep than the ordinary. They are not going to stay like this forever. They should at least enjoy the benefits of being a kid while it lasted.

Sighing, she kept pressing the button, each channel that flashed before her eye seeming duller than the last. _Should I go and see Viole's show? Nah, too early, he will still be preparing. Maybe I could go to help? Magicians seem to need assistants. But wait, wasn't going to do card tricks? Why would he need me for that? Dammit, I'm _so **bored**_. Even jogging sounds fun right now..._  
**_Clang! _**

Jump-scared, Ryun grabbed her staff in reflex and jumped at the direction of the possible enemy. Traveler. Holding his wrenches of doom and French keys of destruction, ready to do unspeakable deeds of terror on whoever opposed him. _Yeah, right._ Sometimes, Ryun felt that there was somebody with a keyboard writing down her life and paying her with her own medicine by trolling her. But that was a lingering feeling she quickly dismissed. If there was anything one could learn as a guide was that there was no such thing as fate. She can guide a person to a path, that doesn't mean that the person will follow that path.

Not lowering her golden weapon, she glared at the Traveler, the latter anxious and ready to cry for help. "Keep it down, the kids are sleeping." With a swift movement of her wrist, the rod of iron met the top of his head, burying the message as deep as she could. "What do you need all these tools anyway?"  
Rubbing his soar head, Traveler answered in a matter-of-fact voice. "Ah, well, since I and Emile are going to climb with you right now, it being our best chance to be away from Gongbang and stuff, I thought that we could use a little bit more...equipment to defend ourselves better. Besides, I always wanted to make a disintegration ray, qui?"

She stared at him for a moment or two before waving her staff again, hurting him once more. Emile was probably snoozing, so she could abuse him freely without her going all "Ah! Ma petite chou-fluer". "Be quiet. If any of the kids wakes up because of you, _these _are going where the sun doesn't shine." She had made herself clear enough. After all, the Traveler almost crawled away, trying to not even make the slightest of noise.

Ryun grunted a bit. _He is not serious, is he?_ Before he vanished around the corner, she whispered with an angry voice. "You are allowed to _breathe_, idiot." The gasp of air that echoed gave her all the confirmation she needed that Viole had befriended yet another idiot.

"Back to the couch, it seems...Maybe I should try and stache the Lizard's face. She would look nice with a swirly mustache."


	5. Chapter 5

Magic is the power of distraction. It's the usage of illusions in order to misguide and thus entertain the watcher, as he tries to look closer to grasp the entirety of the trick, only to find out that he is looking at the wrong thing, thus be amazed by the brilliance of the trick.

One could say that Magic is the combination between charisma, psychology, disorientation and brilliant application of physics.

Koon preferred to use the first two. The ability to manipulate the human mind into thinking that you are the one pulling the strings and essentially becoming the puppet master always fascinated him, perhaps in a more dark and twisted way than now. However...  
"I see...palm trees and...a martini, is it true, Josh?"

As a mentalist, he had to keep it down in the bloody department. But that didn't mean he wouldn't have fun with his costumers-slash-victims. Apparently, this one cheated on his girlfriend. A girlfriend that was boiling more and more by each passing second.

"Ugh, I ..." Being good at reading body-language was the first feature a master manipulator and mentalist should have. The small stuttering, the flickering of the eyes, the dry throat and sweating palms, all could point you to the direction you want to walk upon. As long as you can read the signs, that is. "I-I, it was for business, I-I needed to collect money and I-I-I needed t-to, you know, ugh-"  
"I'm not only seeing palm trees, I also see a woman." said _Mr. Mask_ smugly. He started snapping his fingers while watching his face for any changes as he was spurting out letters of the alphabet. "A. B. C. D. E." _No significant reaction, his lower lip started shaking though. _"F. J. K. L. M." _Gagging. He started clicking his tongue. Sweating greater than before. She's an M._ And as Josh was feeling more discomfort, Agero started spurting out names. "Madra. Mady. Marge. Margaret. Maria." _Blink, change of stature. Maria it is._ "Maria? Who's Maria, Josh?" said Agero mockingly. If he didn't know better, he'd say that his girlfriend was on the verge of exploding. And that was exactly what he was aiming for.

"Yeah, who's Maria, _Josh_? Your boss in the _business trip_?"

He was screwed, big time. He couldn't even stutter anymore, just stare at Agero one time and at his girlfriend another. He could only expect for a miracle.

A miracle that Agero was more than happy to offer.  
"I can make her forget this. Do you want me to make her forget all this?" Josh's eyes flickered with hope, but his face was still distressed. He was truly grasping on straws right now and that's exactly what Agero needed. For him to despair."Okay then, open your wallet. Let's see what you have inside."

He was reluctant at first, but he eventually opened it. There was a lot of money in the wallet, judging from the size and color of the currency, they were all 100s. Why would a man move around with so much cash on himself, that was something Agero couldn't understand. _It's begging to be robbed. And I shall answer the call_. Thus, from the tens of green that was in the man's wallet, he took half of it. "Alright, I believe this will be enough." He skipped towards the lady, her mind obviously clouded by her anger. Tapping on her forehead, she was immediately unconscious, much to his _costumer's_ charging.

His voice eager and commanding, he said to the unconscious lass, held now by her unfaithful boyfriend. "Alright, Jenny, with the count of three, I will snap my fingers and the moment I do, you will remember no Maria, no umbrellas or martinis, no nothing of what was just spoken. And you." He hit Josh's forehead, before speaking in the same commanding voice. "Whenever you think, hear or speak of Maria, you are going to picture Ha Novick naked, with his full glory pointing your way, and I tell you, that's not a pretty picture. Am I clear?" Josh nodded nervously. "Good. Now one, two, three and-" _Snap_.

Jenny woke up from her trance and looked at Josh's way, smiling almost immediately. She asked whether Mr. Mask's magic trick worked, disappointed when she learned the apparent failure of his geek. Greeting Koon, she and her honey, as she called him now, walked away, leaving Agero on his own to count the money. _100, 200, 300, 400 in one go. Not bad. I have to admit it, their ability to read Shinsoo sucks harder than Baam's lying. Just a correct appliance of electricity from the frontal lobe and the victim becomes strongly subject to suggestion and in extension, hypnotism. I wonder how the others do._

He didn't need to look too far away to see how one of his fellow street performers faired. Although he was not the main event in their little show, Baam was truly stealing the hearts of his audience with his improbable card towers he build with a simple movement. Even when he shuffled his deck for the old "Did you picture the card?" trick he looked mesmerizing to the young ladies' eyes that were swooned from a combination of fluttery, well spoken words and... magic.

"So why the hell does he want to ruin that with a cane? I mean, what's the deal?"

He heaved a sigh and sat down, hearing closely and searching for the next unfortunate bystander that would empty his wallet in his hands. They always did. _Let's just hope I don't hit a nerve and leave them permanently comatose. That would be both anti-climatic and affect business negatively. _

* * *

Unlike his half-brother, Ran wasn't exactly enjoying his part. Unlike majestic card tricks or soft spoken misdirection, Ran had to perform more...annoying tricks, according to himself.

One of these tricks was bending a spoon with the _power of his mind_. A freaking spoon. He could bend an entire bridge with the power of electromagnetism and twist an entire block to the point of oblivion, yet here he was, having to bend spoons to make a living. He didn't even need to make a baang to do that. His natural electromagnetic field was enough for the deed. So basically, what he was doing was stand there and hold spoons while buffoons watched them bend and twist against their own will, applauding the little "telekinetic". _I swear to God, I will never ever call Novick a dumbass again. _"Here ya go, buddy!" _Never again! _

* * *

After bending the last spoon in his possession, Ran put the twisted metal in the suitcase -Calypso Industries' Suitcases- Your wishes are our command- and fixed his coat a bit, before heading to the platform Novick had set up.

The curtains were closed, but one could see from the small opening a box big enough for an average human to fit in.

Ran covered the distance between himself and the platform with a simple leap and then went past the curtains, wondering of what performances his friend would pull.

_Friend? Hmm...Well yes, he could count. After all, he did manage to get himself from level 5 to level 4._

Ran had developed a unique system to categorize people, a system based on the level of annoyingness one has. Level 1 was the lowest, level 5 the highest. Few people hit level 6 and lived to tell the tale. Agero claimed that Ran also had a special "Level 0" category, but it was a little hard to believe it when even a person's breathing could be deemed annoying in his eyes.

He opened the red curtain with the mask insignia and saw a variety of classic magician tools. A box with mirrors that had, presumably, a bunny inside it, pigeons in cages, a lion(?) and, of course, the box Ran saw from outside. A closer inspection to the box revealed multiple holes on it, sheaths for blades or weapons to be inserted.

The short Koon found Novick just behind another box, making some adjustments on the mechanics of it. If Ran wasn't mistaken, it was for the trick were you pretended to move around the body parts of a person. A... simple trick of mirrors and perception. So it raised Ran the question; What are the blades for?

Afraid to ask, as he had vowed not call him an idiot ever again, Ran simply sat on a nearby chair, drawing Novick's attention with the sudden clatter. "Oh, hello." he said. "How's business?"  
With an exaggerated sigh, he showed him the pouch of money he had collected. He had not counted the money, but he estimated it to be at least a hundred or so dollars. Novick nodded in satisfaction before returning to his adjustments. He knew well how Ran hated being treated like a teddy bear. _At least by guys_, he thought. _He doesn't seem to mind women much. Although they usually are the more annoying ones..._

* * *

Science.

Although it's a generic term that defines the systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe, it had a smell. It smelled of chemicals, metal melting upon itself and ammonia. And no matter how well the pancakes on the frying pan smelled, it could not cover that distinguished scent. It truly annoyed Hwa, really. Rarely did she get the chance to enjoy breakfast at a proper time and the idiotic Traveler had to ruin it. _How come nobody wakes up from that stink? _

Grunting, she flipped the pancake and skillfully put it in the plate, before pouring the mix in the pan for the next one to be made. _At least he is not making any noise._

"Need any help?"  
Ryun shook her head at the sudden offer. Even though she would refuse the offer from anybody, this particular person should be kept away from the kitchen at all costs. It was just not the time. And with so much ammonia in the air, Yihwa should stay away from anything flammable.

Understanding, she took a plate and seated herself by the table, helping herself with the bathed-in-syrup flapjacks. After the first bite, the similarities in taste and texture were more than enough for Yihwa to tell who was Viole's cooking teacher during his training years. Ryun couldn't see the grimaces of pleasure Yihwa made with each bite, but she could still tell they were there. With a snarky smile, she turned and caught Yihwa red-handed, her mouth full of the foodstuff.

No matter how hard she tried to swallow it whole and save some of her image from the cyclopean Guide, they both knew that she had seen it all and it was going to be her main weapon in an argument. Her lingering smile, a smirk full of the self-confidence and omniscience Guides were famous of and were supposed to have, made her feel small before it. "You have a little something on your. Right there." And even smaller now.

Once she cleaned her mouth of the syrup, she couldn't help herself but ask of the obvious apprenticeship Viole had in the culinary department. Ryun, however, answered her silent question.

"I wanted to pass some more time with him. Because I couldn't contribute at his combat training and there was hardly anything I could do during his training session, I decided to teach him how to cook at his free time. He...wasn't exactly a five star cook when we started. He was also reluctant to learn, thinking that it was a waste of his time and probably another joke. But, he never asked me to stop the lessons. I think he liked the company."

She took a plate of her own and seated herself by the table as well, her eye examining her creation. "He despises being alone." said Ryun.

Although satisfying enough, that was not the only question she wanted answers to. Why did his old friends call him Baam? Why did FUG want him so badly? Why did he hate to be alone so much? So many questions, all to be answered another day.

After all, somebody had to stop that annoying sound of hitting metal.

"Oh he's dead."


End file.
